Tufts, material therefor, and method of manufacture



Jim 31, 1928. 1,657,744

A. C. DURKEE,

TUFTS, MATERIAL THEREFOR, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE Filed Dec. '7, 1925j Z MEfiTOT L/ZZfreCZ 621177? @e Patented Jan. 31, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED C. DURKEE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO F. BURKARTMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MIS-SOURI.

TUFTS, MATERIAL THEREFOR, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE.

Application filed December 7, 1925; Serial No. 73,923.

This invention pertains to tufts adapted for use on mattresses and thelike, or for ornamental purposes in connection with trimmings onChristmas trees or other purposes. The tufts now in general use arecomposed of a bunch of threads or strings assembled side by side andbound intermediate their ends by a wire clip or cord wrapped around andcompressed upon the bunch. With this type of tuft it is difficult totrim the threads to a uniform length so as to present a symmetrical andeven appearance in the finished article. Moreover, such tuft iscomparatively unyielding and after being in use for a while presents anunsightly appearance and they are comparatively expensive.

Therefore it is an object of my invention to not only materially reducethe cost of tufts, and overcome the aforementioned disadvantages, butalso to provide one which is very soft, fiuffy, symmetrically sphericalin shape, and will present a nice appearance.

The above and other features of novelty, advantages and capabilitieswill become apparent from a detail description of the accompanyingdrawings, in which I have illustrated one form of m invention, but itwill be understood that he form shown is illustrative only, and does notdefine the limits of my invention.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a strip ofv my improved material fromwhich the sections are cut for forming the tuft;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a tuft showing the cord or string tiedtherearound intermediate its ends; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the tuft shown in Figure 3 after beingfiuffed to form a symmetrical spherical shape concealing the bindingcord.

The material shown in Figure 1 comprises a body portion 10 of unspunroving with a cotton string or thread 11 extending through ,the centerthereof. This strip is produced by carding or garnetting cotton orcotton Waste. The thread 11 which is in the center of the body portionis fed from a cone or tube to the delivery end of thecard or garnett insuch a way that the cotton cord or.

thread lies approximately in the center of the body portion 10. Withthis arrangementthe finished material is given sufficient strength to besubsequently pulled through the tuft forming machines, whereas with thecheaper material if the cord or thread were not inserted the materialwould not have sufficient strength to be successively used in a tuftingmachine. Withhigh grade material the string 11 may be omitted. Thematerial shown in Figure 1 is made in one continuous piece and as itpasses from the card or 'garnett is coiled in a can by a regular cottonor wool coiling machine well understood in the art. When the can is fullthe end is cut off and a new can inserted in the machine. Subsequentlyin order to form the tuft this material is fed from the cans into anysuitable tuft forming machine, cut off in the desired lengths, whichlengths are bound intermediate their ends by a wire, cord or othersuitable binder 12, in any satisfactory manner, and then fluifed, thusproducing a soft, fluify tuft 13 made of unspun V ing approximatelythrough the center of,

said body portion, a binder tightly surrounding said tuft intermediateits ends, the unbound portions being fluffed to form a symmetrical ballconcealing said binder, sub-- stantially as and for the purpose setforth.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name to theforegoing specification at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this 30th day ofNovember, 1925.

ALFRED C. DURKEE.

ajmmed January 31, 1928, to

Patent Na. 3, 657, 74 3.

it is hereby aertiiied H1 r Page:

@ laws ahove numbered patent rfiquixing cor s Patent should be read withthis cm'rectian fiuaren timfi; die the case in the Patsnt (Mike.

Signefi and sealed this 6th day of Maaeh, A, D,

M. J. Moore, Acting Geanmissioner of Patents.

SeaE.

